Official Luthiers Forum!

   Has anyone out there tried using thier drill press for routing? I just did. Don`t tell my wife- she thinks I`m working on her new medicine cabinet
   I got to thinking about thickness planers and sanders and how the abrasives clog so easily, and also the comment made on routers being so loud and dangerous.
I just got through with trying my luck with chucking up a 1/4" straight bit in my drill press and mounting a guide fence to the table. Works great for getting to rough dimensions! Gets the material closer to thickness so the thickness sander-oops, abrasive planer doesn`t have to bear the brunt of the work.
In case you`re wondering, I finnally wore out my favorite router last week and don`t really want to change any of my setups to accept a different router. Anyone know if the old craftsman routers can be resurrected?

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

That would be a mill. HP is an issue here

I have thicknessed pegheads using this method. I think I read about it in David Russell Young's book.

It works ok as long as you take small cuts and go pretty slow. I'm not sure that the sideways cutting action is all that good for the bearings in the drill press though.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

[QUOTE=MichaelP] That would be a mill. HP is an issue here[/QUOTE]
Sorry for using incorrect terminology. I did mean vertical mill.
   

_________________
Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

push off will be more that with a router because of the spread betweem load and bearing. but with carfull planing you can account for that.

   I did notice the push-off, and it could be a problem in the future. At this point, I`m just tickled by the fact that it worked so well, and the accuracy in adjusting the depth of the cuts.
   The drill press I have is just an el cheapo benchtop model running at 3100 rpm, and is quiet as to not wake the dead. Rather nice to hear Alice`s Resaraunt while I`m working.
   Wheels are turning in this burned out brain, now.
   Guys, I swear to you that you`ll be seeing some results from my end instead of silly questions and personal discoveries that i`ve been posting. But... if my wife asks, I`m working on that medicine cabinet, OK?
Now, where di I put that lead screw five years ago?

_________________
Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

I've had great results using a "Wagner Safty Planer" in my drill press. That is how I thickness my back and sides befroe I make a couple of passes through the drum sander.

I have tried using a router bit but it is so narrow it takes forever.

   Slow is about right! Changed to a 1/2" bit last night thinking that it might go a little quicker, but the increase in sfpm left alot af tear-out and got pretty hot. Maybe if I request a safety planer from the war dept... Now would be the time to get that medicine cabinet done (actually made good progress on that yesterday).
   Hey, Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!

_________________
Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,